What will it take for Minneapolis police leaders to show they're serious about reform?
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara recently made an incredible — but unsurprising — misstep when he chose a defensive posture in the face of criticism over his decision to promote a detective to lead a key unit after she'd been admonished for sending a racist email.
"Of the Lieutenants currently available to oversee Homicide, Lt. Aimee Linson is the most qualified," he said in a statement to the Star Tribune about the appointment. "In addition to her ability to interact with individuals in the initial moments of grief after a homicide, she understands complex investigative processes and is well suited to provide leadership for those responsible for the crucial role of homicide investigations. For me to do otherwise would be to underutilize her talents at a time when I am charged with leading the MPD with nearly 40% fewer sworn members."
Linson did not stumble upon an unsavory message and delete it or ignore it. She "forwarded an email chain to several colleagues with the subject line 'Only in the Ghetto,' " per the Star Tribune. That message "contained 16 pictures, seven of which negatively portrayed Black people."
I'm concerned about the appointment of an individual who is now being uplifted as an empathetic soul who is reborn and capable of leading the homicide unit. But the chief's audacity to suggest that he had to promote Linson, who stayed on paid leave for more than a year pending the outcome of an investigation, because of her "talent" highlights the department's stubbornness and brashness when asked to be accountable.
It also shows that racism is, at worst, an inconvenience when you're not Black.
I often get messages from white readers who believe white people have been persecuted due to false accusations of racism in recent years amid "cancel culture." It's not safe for white people to say what they think and feel anymore, they say. Their perceptions are not rooted in experience and truth.
O'Hara's decision to promote Linson is more akin to reality. White people often determine when other white people who've committed racist acts have earned their opportunity for redemption. And, trust me, redemption — not repentance — is always the goal in those scenarios. Linson, who had been a police sergeant at the time, made a choice to send that racist email more than a decade ago. That choice — and the violence that comes with those stereotypes — did not interrupt her career path. She was not canceled.